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Key to the Family Ictaluridae
(Catfish, Madtoms, and Bullheads)
 

Family Characteristics: 

Fish with true jaws; operculum covering four gill slits; fins paired; pelvic (ventral) fins present; caudal fin homocercal with the spinal column ending in its center, lobes equal; dorsal and pectoral fins each with one stout spine; pelvic fin spineless (Soft-rayed fishes); chin with four barbels; scales lacking.

 

1. Rear margin of adipose fin attached to the back.                                                          2
1. Rear margin of adipose fin not attached to the back.                                                     3


2. Premaxillary band of teeth without backward extensions; length to 5 inches.                  7
2. Premaxillary band of teeth extends backward at the side of the mouth; length
up to 53 inches.                                                                                                            6


3. Caudal fin deeply forked; scattered dots on the sides.                              Channel Catfish 
3.Caudal fin not deeply forked, but rounded or square.                                                     4


 4. Barbels under jaw whitish; anal rays 23 to 27.                                        Yellow Bullhead
4. Barbels under jaw dark; anal rays 17 to 23.                                                                 5


 5. Pectoral spines strongly barbed on posterior edge (Fig 1.); anal rays 22 to 23; no 
      light bar across the base of caudal fin; fins lighter than body.                 Brown Bullhead 
5. Pectoral spines weakly barbed on posterior edge (Fig 1.); anal rays 17 to 21; light 
      bar across the base of caudal fin; fins darker than body.                         Black Bullhead


 6. Lower jaw longer than upper jaw.                                                         Flathead Catfish
6. Upper jaw much longer than lower jaw.                                               Stonecat Madtom


 7. Teeth on pectoral spine; upper jaw longer than lower jaw.                    Brindled Madtom
7. Teeth on pectoral spine lacking; lower jaw as long, or almost as long, as 
      upper jaw.                                                                                      Tadpole Madtom



Ictalurus melas - Black Bullhead 

	Sluggish portions of small to moderate sized streams, ponds and impoundments. Prefers silty waters and soft mud bottoms and is highly tolerant to many types of industrial and domestic pollutants. Rare.



Black Bullhead - Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources

Ictalurus natalis - Yellow Bullhead

	Shallow portions of bays, lakes, ponds, and streams with slow moving, clear water. Can tolerate diverse types of bottom, from gravel to silt and muck.




Ictalurus nebulosus - Brown Bullhead

Deeper, larger ponds, impoundments, and lakes where waters are clear and usually cool with a fairly low amount of turbidity.






Ictalurus punctatus - Channel Catfish

	Large deep rivers or lakes with sluggish water over fairly clean bottoms of sand or gravel or silt, if silt deposition is low.









Noturus flavus - Stonecat Madtom

	Prefers gravel, boulder, and bedrock riffles of the larger streams of moderate gradient which are mostly free of silt and other pollutants. Occurs along the rocky beaches of Lake Erie and sometimes in sluggish, slightly silted streams.

Stonecat Madtom

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Noturus miurus - Brindled Madtom

	Slow moving streams where the bottom is of sand and organic debris and lacking clayey silts. Rare.


Brindled Madtom
Noturus gyrinus - Tadpole Madtom

	Prefers lowland streams of low gradient and stable conditions with clear water and 	bottom of soft muck. Occurs in protected harbors and bays of Lake Erie and in pothole     lakes, marshes, springs, and oxbows.


Pilodictic olivaris - Flathead Catfish

	Prefers hard bottoms of the low-gradient portions of larger streams, or areas of low silt deposition if over silt bottoms. Occurs in sluggish, long, deep pools.

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